Yamaha has officially announced that it will be closing down its Spanish factory in Palau-Solità Plegamans and moving to Saint-Quentin in northern France, where they have another factory.
The move is due to a “global redefinition plan” and has been influenced by a drop in sales (-47% in the last three years).
The decision to move production to the French plant was based on “the need for greater efficiency in production and logistics and economic sustainability” since the recession had led the company into a situation of “excessive production capacity.
”Yamaha will still keep its commercial headquarters in Palau, but with yesterday’s announcment that Spain’s unemployment rate is at a record 20.
33%, the addition of another 420 workers loosing their jobs will hit hard the already suffering economy, however we doubt that these workers will call on Jorge Lorenzo to help them try to save their jobs as the Italians tried to do with Valentino Rossi.